Bees Singing in Lavender

This summer I went to a lavender farm.  

There were bees everywhere.  Their humming a song in the air.  Their energy--bursts of flight, wings sparkling with light.  

I wanted to capture some of that in a painting.

Supplies
VLVS Stamps Used:
Large Bee Item 19013 Plate 893

Small Bee Item 19012 Plate 893 

Bee/Small Item 1896 Plate 472

Genuinely Jane Studios Wood Book page (Picket Fence)
Cray-Pas® Specialist® Oil Pastels: Sakura Of America-Dioxane Violet, Mauve, Cobalt Blue, Titanium White/ Cray-Pas® Expressionist® - Sakura Of America: Purple, Yellow-Green, Yellow, White

Clairefontaine Rouge Mer 300 lb Cold Press Watercolor paper
Faber-Castell Gelatos:Tangerine, Mango, Butter Cream
StazOn Inkpad: Jet Black
Golden Fluid Acrylic paint: Micaceous Iron Oxide
Golden Soft Gel medium
Clay-shaping tool
Plastic eraser

I prepared my wooden panel by priming it with Micaceous Iron Oxide, an acrylic paint with particles that produce a dark surface with a fine tooth, and sparkle.  It's a good surface for pastels, and light on dark painting.

I blocked out the areas where I wanted lavender. Layering purples and blues, I moved and blended the color with a clay-shaping tool and a plastic eraser.   Long strokes of yellow and green were added for grass.  I made sure to leave areas of the Micaceous Iron Oxide showing for contrast.  I just kept layering the colors, blending and pulling out details with the shaper until I was happy.

In the upper right, where I used mostly yellows and whites, I ran the plastic eraser over the color, blurring most of the detail, and then, lightly, laid in long strokes of yellow and white to get a strong impression of sunlight.

I sprayed the complete piece with hair spray and let it set overnight (this sets it so you can layer on a medium without disturbing the pastel, but it isn't enough to be permanent on it's own).

The bee images were stamped onto the watercolor paper that I had colored in yellows and oranges using gelatos. I added strokes of yellow and white oil pastel.  I cut the images out, and folded the legs and wings downward to get some dimension.

To seal the piece, and to glue down the bees, I used soft gel medium, covering the bees completely on both sides, and layering it heavily on the oil pastel.

I couldn't catch it as well as I hoped, but the Micaceous Iron Oxide glitters in the light giving the impression of dust motes sparkling in the sun.

Thank you for stopping by, and I hope you've enjoyed my oil pastel painting.

There are still a few days left for you to enter the Viva Las VegaStamps! August challenge. It's great fun and a chance to share your projects with the world!

For more of my work with Viva Las VegaStamps!, Amazing Mold Putty, zentangle-inspired art, and daily links to tangles, tutorials, and giveaways please visit my "Life Imitates Doodles" blog.   ~ Sandra Strait

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